The Fire of the Soul
by Maine-snowflake
Summary: When Dean, Sam and Castiel are turned into kids they're, naturally, taken to Bobby's house, to be raised by their 'real' father. Eventual Teen!Destiel.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural, it's settings or it's characters. This disclaimer is in effect for all chapters.

Warnings: Cussing, so on and so forth. This is for all chapters.

* * *

><p>It was nearly midnight and Bobby was just drunk enough to feel the sleep he'd been missing on his eyelids. His feet were kicked up on the coffee table, in that one little spot that was free of books and other important things. Sam and Dean would have flipped; they weren't allowed to have their feet on the table. Why should he?<p>

The static mess on the TV switched to something almost good, he might actually watch it. Then a knock filled the house, taking him out of his restful evening. He strode to the door expecting the idjits and their angel. Later, looking back, he supposed he was right about that. Swinging the door open to reveal a young woman, 18 at the oldest with a tired expression, a baby about 2-3 years old who was asleep as eyelids flittered resting on one hip and a boy about 4 on the other, who had a mop of hair black as ink and snored lightly. Holding onto her pant leg was a boy of 5, face half hidden. The first thought that crossed his mind about the boy was how much he looked like Dean did as a child.

"Who are you?" Bobby aimed the gun hidden next to the door at the girl. She moved the younger child so she could wipe the bangs stuck to her face out of the way.

"I am Ambriel. This is Sam," She raised the baby a bit. "Castiel," she nodded at the boy on her shoulder, "and this is Dean." The eyes were flickered down the entire time, if they were at the suspiciously named child or the ground, he couldn't tell. When they looked up to time it was hard not to notice the color, the green was too bright for even Bobby to ignore.

"Where'd ya get the boys?" Bobby kept the gun aimed at her head.

"I know what you are thinking," Ambriel smirked. "These children are the Winchesters and the angel. As am I, an angel that is, not a Winchester. I consider myself blessed in that way."

"Prove it." Bobby challenged, if she was real then he'd have to deal with who she was and if she was good.

"Any ideas?" Ambriel pressed her lips together as she felt Castiel squirm against her side like he did as a fledgling. "Shh, Cassy." The arm around him smoothed him.

"Amy?" He looked up at her with tired eyes.

"That's right, Cassy." Ambriel had a soft voice, softer than most of the angels Bobby met, not that he knew many angels that took a female vessel. "I came home for a little while. Go back to sleep."

Bobby handed over a silver flask filled with holy water. Normally, he'd just splash it on the person, but he had a soft spot for the children in her arms. As he held it out she gave him a look, the kind that was only seen on women and meant to show that he was being stupid.

"Just let me in so I can put these two down and peel Dean off my leg." Ambriel looked at him, her eyes changing to a pleading look. "I've held them for hours and Dean won't let go."

As much as Bobby didn't want to, he sighed, laid down a row of salt and let her in. When she stepped over it, one leg, the free one, moving easily, the one with the child attached to it a bit harder. She sniffed the air, it was obvious, but also it was easy to see she was trying to hide the face she was making.

"What?" Bobby asked, catching her sniff again.

"I am not... used to smelling so many natural elements or such strong holy water."

Ambriel ducked her head and put the children on the small couch. "It's nice, they are very lucky." She took the flask and downed the water quickly. She was still standing, and Dean was still attached to her leg.

"Dean, Dean, baby, its safe. Let go of my leg."

She bent at the waist just enough to pet the top of his overly blond head. She then got to work on untangling him, for real, not just with her words.

"What happened to them?" Bobby asked, not trusting the girl.

"It's a long story. If we are allowed to stay, just for a little while, I suppose I could tell you." Ambriel bargained.

Bobby gave a look, saying that she could sit next to the boys on the couch. She understood and obediently sat, pulling a sleeping Castiel on her lap. Bobby pulled a chair over and sat in front of her, blocking the only nearby exit.

"Talk." He crossed his arms.

"As you know, my name is Ambriel. In all sense of the word I am the highest ranking, thought to be the most talented, Guardian Angel. I was given conflicting orders. My boss told me to eliminate the threat the three posed. I, in outrage, demanded an audience in front of God. He granted it and told me that if even the angels had it out for them that I was to protect them, by any means needed." She glanced down fondly at Castiel, "I was allowed to see their destiny, which is rare for a Guardian Angel, strictly need to know. It wasn't good, so I made a deal." Ambriel ran her fingers through the child's hair, more to comfort her then him. "I would bare their destiny and they would get a new start. They are my ward, my responsibility, until I die."

Bobby gave a low hum, wondering what the catch was. With angels, with anything, there was always a catch.

"When I showed up at the house, a Slenderman had taken them under his spell. Cassy was fighting it, but somehow he got enchanted too." She looked down, not believing that he was there. "I instinctively kicked into gear and fought him off. The Slenderman's spell can be broken only if the victims are dead. I had no choice," Her eyes watered and her voice shook. "They won't turn back, it's permanent." She wiped a tear with the back of her hand and the mascara smudged horribly. Later, she'd cry over that too. "Please don't be mad. I didn't have a choice. I was too late. Please don't be mad."

He wanted to comfort the girl but forced himself to stay a distance away, until he knew if it was an act or not.

"I'm so sorry, about everything. I'm not usually so emotional. It's just… I haven't seen Cassy in 300 years and we got in a fight just before I left." She sniffed and ran the hand that wasn't wiping her tears through Castiel's hair. "He's grown up so good, so mature, in those 300 years."

"It's fine, continue...Please." It was odd for him to tack that please on the end and with the gruffness it had, the word was its own oxymoron.

"If...If you don't want to take them, just please let us stay for about a month or so. Around New Years or Christmas. I'm sick." She wiped her eyes again, feeling the sting or tears and mascara. "Cassy was destined to fall. Due to my importance, I can't, now that I've repented. Still, I have to suffer in memoria. I won't have the strength to do much, just walk a bit, eat... I'll be like a human with the flu for a month, only worse. It's painful and there isn't any way I could take care of the boys with it. Just a month, please."

"Repented, as in you fell before?" Bobby leaned back, if it was an act he was starting to fall for it, until she said those words.

"Almost. Until World War 2, I was blindly loyal. Guardians are forbidden to watch the news or get news from outside sources." She wiped her eyes again. "I was assigned to guard Hitler. All of those failed assassinations were me. Then, I caught sight of the news. I learnt what he was doing. I couldn't guard him. It was wrong." Her fingers worked loosely on a knot in Castiel's hair. "I refused to work and started to fall. Enraged, I stormed Upstairs. Made all kinds of mess and didn't stop until I talked to Father himself. After nearly destroying one of the lower levels, I got my wish. He explained that while it was horrible, someone had to guard the man. It was more than destiny that this happened. Horrid as it was, it had to work that way. I left, refusing to work. Six months later, Hitler died and I came back. Father met with me again. He would let me come back, but I had to go through in memoria, remember falling, as punishment and a reminder. Every December I would go through this. The feeling is worse then falling. He told me that I would have a direct line to him, meet whenever needed. I became the head Guardian, because really, look at how many people tried to hurt Hitler, and my boss was the head angel."

"Really?" Bobby almost believed her, in a round-about sort of way.

She reached behind her, like she was going to rub the back of her neck, then pulled her hand abruptly forward, clinched.

"Is this enough proof?" She asked, opening her hand. In her palm sat a clump of soft feathers, a black on weaving through the pure white. "Or this?" She pulled a sleeve stuck to her wrist back to her elbow. About an inch of her pale skin was infused with a golden dust. "All Guardians have at least one. Before my fall, my entire neck and all the way to my elbows were like this. When I'm not going through in memoria, the line is half an inch bigger. Please trust us. We need a place to stay. One month and you'll never have to see another angel, or the Winchesters ever again." She shot a glance at Dean, who curled up on the side of the couch and feel asleep. "Just a bed for them."

"You can stay. If they-" He started over, he knew it was the boys. His boys. "They can stay indefinitely. Any trouble from you and you're out."

"Thank you so much." Ambriel gave a teary smile. "I'm not usually so emotional either. It's just in memoria. It has this effect."

"There's a bed for the boys. I'll have to work on making more room for them." Bobby told her.

"Thank you. May God bless you."Ambriel smiled brighter and picked up Sam, then worked on picking up Castiel, but was having trouble. "Could you grab Dean and Cassy? I can't lift them."

Bobby picked up Dean first, he would make two trips. The boy was scarily light. She'd have to be severely weakened not to carry him. Bobby was glad about having the ability to lift them up, the angel having a subtle way of protecting them. Still, 5 years old or not, it was Dean.

"It's a blessing that they're asleep right now. They don't often sleep at night. Nocturnal little things." Ambriel told Bobby as they walked up the steps.

Once again, the little trust he had for the girl, angel, whatever she was, cracked. She spoke fondly, happily, emotionally. Angels didn't talk like that. Angels had one tone of voice. She wanted something. She needed more than a place to stay. She was manipulating.

"You think it's odd, don't you?" Ambriel paused half-way up the stairs. "That I sound so human. That my voice can question and my eyes can cry." She rocked the baby in her arms. "I've spent over 400 years in this body. I'd rather hope that I can melt into it."

"400 years? Poor soul." Bobby muttered climbing the steps as she got to the top.

"Evelyn doesn't live here anymore. She killed herself 300 years ago." Ambriel glanced down for a second, as if trying to avoid Bobby's eyes. "I am an open book about most things. I don't talk about it though."


	2. Chapter 2

I'd like to thank my wonderful beta musedbysecrecy[dot]tumblr[dot]com/

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2:<strong>

Eventually, Bobby headed to bed. It was about 3 in the morning and Ambriel refused to answer anymore questions, telling him that he knew enough to trust her and that sleep was important. That night, he slept with an Angelic Sword next to his bed, just in case.

Much to his surprise, he woke up the next morning, or noon, in one piece. It was also much too quiet for there to be a three, four and five year old in the house. Part of him hoped it was some kind of half-crazed drunk hallucination. The sword by his bed started to prove him wrong.

Stumbling out to get some coffee, the rest of the night was confirmed. Tuffs of feather were spread out over the floor leading at the large form on the couch. The 'angel' he let in last night was soundly sleeping, the small lump of a mini-Castiel on the floor, also asleep, leaning against the arm rest. Angel, yeah right. Angels don't sleep. _But what about Castiel? He's right on the floor next to her, he was asleep last night._ A voice in the back of his head whispered.

"The boys are asleep still," a groggy voice that sounded vaguely like the one last night mumbled. "I don't know how. They were up for about an hour around 8:30."

About an hour later, a nervous child-Dean, nervous being an understatement, and a hyper-active toddler Sam, with innocently long, blonder than normal hair, woke up too. Another trip up in everything. The boys had a 4 year age difference, yet they seemed to be at the most 2 years apart. It didn't impress Bobby to figure that one out.

"Hi! Who you?" Sam asked happily upon seeing Bobby, trying to free himself from Dean, who had a tight hold on his hand. Bobby still couldn't get over the fact that these were his boys.

"Who _are_ you, Sammy. _Are_." The angel that Bobby assumed was asleep corrected. The first thing that popped into Bobby's head was a sarcastic remark on her childcare skills, he bit his tongue. The 'angel' sat up, what appeared to be too quickly, because she sat her head in her hands. "He's a smart boy, you know?" She said, standing up on slightly wobbly legs. "And Sammy, he's your...Uncle...Uncle Bobby. We'll be staying here for a little while."

"Where Daddy?" Sammy asked, toddled over to Ambriel. "Up."

"Not today, Sammy, I have a boo boo." She slowly leaned down to his level.

"Boo boo?" He knew the term, of course.

"Yes Sammy, a boo boo in my head." Every thought Bobby had about the girl hurting the boys was gone. The adoration and sorrow that she couldn't lift him that filled her half-guarded eyes was pure. "Up here." She tapped the side of her head.

"All better?" Sammy asked, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Wrong kinda boo boo, kid." Ambriel pushed herself up again. "Let me help with that." She attempted a stride to reach Bobby, who was in the kitchen, looking for something to make actual food with. "I've lived around humans for 500 years, a few eggs won't be too hard."

"No," Bobby glanced from the fridge to her, "You sit and talk. I want answers." The angel obeyed, hearing the harshness in his voice.

"You're angry?" She asked, tilting her head. "Answers only come to those who ask questions." A flustered huff came from Bobby.

"The age difference. Start there," was the demand.

"I turned Sam and Dean back to 2 months before their destinies were assigned." Ambriel pushed a feather that she picked off her shoulder around with her finger, noticing a few flaws in the wood of the table. "Who the hell knows about Cassy. Best I can guess is that it was his vessel, Jimmy? Yeah, Jimmy's destiny to be Cassy's vessel. His destiny was assigned at the age Cassy is. They are, obviously, stuck in the mindset they were as children," Ambriel lowered her head to her folded arms as they sat on the table. "A destiny can be cancelled at it's current state or never exist. The boys were infected so their destiny, while cancelled, wouldn't even matter, so they had to be brought back to before it existed. My only option."

"You know Cas?" The morning fuzziness made Ambriel unable to figure out if it was a question or statement.

"Of course," Ambriel answered, it seemed she was attempting to pet a shy Dean's head as he stood curled close to her. Yet, she didn't lift her head. "All angels know each other, but yes. Most angels grow up like a child in boarding school. I was not, therefore it was my job to ensure that a fledging would grow up with support, like me. Encouraging free thinking, but not prejudice. Cassy held...holds, more potential than many could imagine. Gabriel, he said that he saw the same thing looking at me."

That brought a flood of questions, she was close to Gabriel? Even Bobby knew well enough not to ask. It would be far to personal.

"Amy?" A small voice asked. In reaction to hearing the nickname, her eyes shot to the side it came from. "I feel funny. I sound weird."

"Oh, Cassy." She ran her fingers through his hair. An odd habit she picked up. "We're gonna be here, like this for a while."

Why?" He asked, reaching up to attempt to get her fingers out of his hair. She ignored the attempt simply.

"Because that's the way it is, Cassy." She told him.

"Breakfast is done," Bobby interjected, putting some eggs and burnt toast in front of the group.

"I don't like eggs." It was the first phrase Bobby heard out of Dean since he became a child. "The toast is burnt."

"It's what we've got." Bobby quirked an eyebrow, unimpressed with this 'picky' Dean.

"I don't want it." Dean argued, arms crossed in front of him.

"Dean, look, the eggs are good. See," Ambriel ate a small bite from the plate she made for Dean, a look crossed her face. She didn't like the taste and tried to hide it. "And we can scrape off the burnt part." She set to work scraping the black off the toast.

"It's still burnt." Dean pouted.

"Fine then," Ambriel shrugged, "I'll eat it. Bobby, do you have any cream cheese?"

"Go check," He point at the fridge. Ambriel did just that and Dean, sighing, started on his eggs.

"Amy," Castiel has his head tilted and poked at the scrambled egg on his plate. "What-"

They're eggs, stupid." Dean huffed.

"Dean!" Ambriel and Bobby said at the same time.

They're eggs. I'm sorry." Dean just looked back to his plate, poking at the scrambled eggs.

"They don't look like eggs." Castiel poked one with his finger.

"Good!" Sammy smiled, tearing a piece off with his fingers and eating it. Ambriel learnt quickly not to give him any silverware aside from a spoon.

"Thanks," Bobby shrugged, sitting down.

"Good job, Sammy." Ambriel smiled and pulled cream cheese from the fridge, then set to work finding something else. "Cinnamon and Sugar?"

"Top cabinet, left." Bobby told her between bites.

"Thanks." She stood on her toes to reach the cinnamon.

"These don't look like eggs." Castiel brought up again. Ambriel glanced up, like she was saying a silent prayer, probably along the lines of _"Don't let me screw this one up!"_

"They are eggs. I promise, now eat," she demanded.

"They taste weird." Castiel complained, taking a bite. "Aren't eggs baby chickens?" Ambriel banged her head against a cupboard. It was going to go to hell now.

"Baby chickens?" Dean and Sam said at the same time.

"They aren't baby chickens." Ambriel started, then looked to the ceiling, _"Help!"_ She mouthed.

"Okay, so maybe they kind of are." Her eyes darted around the room. "Bobby!" She nearly shouted, "Your Uncle Bobby can explain better."

"No," Bobby said between bites, considering getting a beer while watching the whole thing unfold.

Okay then," She focused on the boys, not the tuffs of feather landing on the floor, "Well, you see," They were staring at her. "Eggs are..." They were too young to understand 'infertile' or how the whole thing worked, and if the word 'dead' past her lips, they would never eat eggs again. "Eggs aren't baby chickens, they just come from chickens. Eat."

"What are they?" Dean asked, looking at his eggs.

"Food, now eat." Ambriel told them, "Bobby, tell them to eat."

"Eat," Bobby echoed.

"Here," Ambriel sprinkled a bit on cinnamon on their eggs and her cream cheese toast,

"Eat, you'll like it."

The boys set to eating, however unhappy they were. Ambriel sat down placing her toast away from her and laid her head on her arms.

"I'm absolutely awful at this." She groaned, then a plate, her toast, was pushed into her arm. "Thanks," She lifted her head and started to nibble at the toast. "Thanks for the toast. The eggs were good too."

"Sure, kid," Bobby gave a gruff laugh.

"I'm not a child, compared to me, it is you who is young and I'm not joking. It's just my stomach is sensitive, in memoria will do that to an angel. An entire falling condensed into one month, you know."

"Sure," Bobby itched to grab a bottle of beer. Not so much as to drink it but to feel the cool glass that sat in his fingers for so long. "Sure, kid," Ambriel sighed, she _wasn't_ going to waste her energy fighting over a _nickname_ with him.

"Whatever," She grumbled.

"It's good," Castiel smiled, eating the egg.

"I thought you'd like it with cinnamon." Ambriel beamed, her mood suddenly better. "I knew it."

"It's fine," Dean grumbled.

"Awesome," Her mood didn't fade, "Awesome. Hey, Bobster-"

"Bobby," the sharp growl cut her off.

"Bobby," She soothed over, "Once these guys go do...whatever it is that kids do, we need to talk. On orders of the Big Man Upstairs. It's technical stuff, Heavens paperwork and ground rules. So on and so forth. If it makes you feel better, I hate it too."

A couple hours later, when the December sun started to fall behind the trees and metal mountains of old cars, the boys sat down to watch some TV. It was the perfect time to go over the 'paperwork.' Bobby sat in his chair behind the desk, still nursing his first beer. Ambriel sat in an ugly gray overstuffed mound of chair, a can of ginger ale that she must have just poof'ed up, because Bobby knew that he didn't have any ginger ale in the fridge. Her knuckles started to bruise after she slammed them in his cabinet while looking for a bottle opener as a peace offering for whatever she did earlier to piss him off.

"Okay, so...let's get down to business," she said firmly. "Maybe we can get through this relatively painlessly."

"Maybe." Bobby wasn't delusional, it would take a miracle to get through whatever needed doing without one of the boys in tears or demanding attention.

"This kind of thing rarely happens. However, that doesn't mean it never has, so luckily for you," She was all business now, despite the mild dizzy or nauseous spells that would occasionally wash over her, "We have proper protocols."

"Luckily for me?" Bobby was taken back.

"Well, you are intending to keep them, the boys, aren't you?" Ambriel was more taken back.

"Of course," The response was quick, he didn't need to think about it, he knew they were his boys, "How did you-"

"I'm an angel, hard to believe, easy to forget, but I am an angel. While I don't know everything, I know a lot. You have loved them like sons for years, you were their real father, even if you won't admit it to anyone but yourself." She shifted in her seat.

"Right."

"Now, back to the more 'legal'," She actually did air quotes, "aspects. I need to spend 30 days here, just to make sure you're the right choice. That won't be a problem as you already said I could say until I'm better. Of course, you won't get rid of me then, I **am **their Guardian Angel, I'll be stopping in for different periods of time and check if they're in trouble." She sipped on the ginger ale. "Understand?"

"Hard not too," was the sarcastic response.

"After the 30 day 'trail period,' you will go back to the same physical condition you were in 20 years ago, unless you wish for less of a reversal. The money you need to build an extension or buy a new house to have enough room for the boys and a guest room." Ambriel went extremely pale for a few seconds and stopped talking, then started as if nothing was wrong. "On the last day of every month you'll find the exact amount of money you'll need for the boys and a random bill that is due the next month. The money will be in your mailbox if I can't deliver it directly. When I am only guarding the boys I will need a place to stay, you'll be repaid for my room and board. Understood?"

"Think so," The nod that followed was not reassuring.

"Now the ground rules," The business woman persona left Ambriel and the tension that unknowingly filled the room left. She leaned back in her chair. "Rule Uno, I am their Guardian Angel, I am the best in the business as well as the eldest to have the official title, I am good at my job. Hurt them and you'll wish I would give you mercy and throw you into the fiery pits of the lowest levels of hell. Trust me, it isn't pleasant there. Rule Two, when th-"

"Amy!" Castiel cried, running over to her with tears in his eyes, he climbed up onto her lap and hid his face in her neck.

"What's wrong, baby?" She rubbed his back with one hand, the other put down the can of soda and signaling that she'd calm him down, not that Bobby had any intention of getting in her way originally.

"D-Dean hit me!" Ambriel bit her lip to keep from calling Dean over and making things 'right'. First she had to calm down Castiel, again. Dean was being awfully mean the entire day, which was odd. The group got along fine the entire car ride from Massachusetts. "And called me stupid!" Castiel wailed.

"Cry baby," was heard from the other side of the room.

Bobby gave Ambriel a look, there was no way he knew how to deal with a kid being as much of a brat as Dean. He knew how _not_ to deal with it, his parents taught him that, but how to deal with it was another story. Ambriel, if she knew he was clueless or not, used her free hand to signal him to go talk to Dean.

"Come on, boy." Bobby huffed, walking over to the front door, expecting Dean to follow. Surprisingly, Dean got the look, and he knew that if he fought it, the punishment would be worse, and followed. Right before slipping out the door behind Bobby, he gave Sam puppy eyes.

It took Sammy all of 5 seconds to stop looking around like a lost animal and go back to watching whatever it was on TV. Once Dean left Castiel's loud sobs, he calmed down ever so slightly until they were merely sniffles. Ambriel pulled him away from her neck and smiled at him.

"Better?" She pushed the hair from his eyes.

"Uh huh," Castiel answered.

"How about we watch some TV with Sammy? Does that sound fine?" Castiel nodded and the hair she pushed from his eyes covered them again.

As the three settled down on the floor to watch Rudolph and curled themselves into the old comforter Bobby found in the attic, they heard the distinct sound of two doors slamming closed and the Impala starting. As the sound of the engine got softer and softer, Ambriel sent up a prayer that Bobby would know what to say and discipline with more grace then she could have.

Bobby, meanwhile, was sitting in the driver's seat of Dean's baby, and had his eyes on the road, refusing to look at Dean as he messed with the seatbelt. He resisted the urge to ask the child how Ambriel drove the children all the way to his house without any car seats and kept driving. He knew where he was heading and refused to let anything get in his way.

15 minutes later, Bobby missed the turn he needed to get to the small lake where he was going to talk to Dean and let out a string of curses without thinking.

"Mommy said not to use those words, they're bad." Dean glanced over to Bobby, "Daddy uses 'em lots now that Mommy isn't coming back."

"Kid," Bobby didn't know how to continue. "Kid, why ya actin' like this?"

"Like what?" Dean asked, curious. Any sign that he was being a brat before was gone.

"Misbehaving and being mean to Cas," Bobby answered gruffly.

"He's takin' Am-Bree and Sammy from me. I ain't got no one left but them. Especially Sammy." Dean looked down. "I ain't got no one left."

"Kid,"

"My name's Dean."

"Dean," Bobby tried again, "Cas isn't trying to take away Sam...or Ambriel."

"Promise?" Dean's eyes almost lit up at the words yet need to confirmation.

"Yeah, kid. I promise, the kid just needs some attention too. He's used to lots of brothers and sisters to keep him company and I guess Ambriel was kind of like his favorite. Ya need to share." Bobby turned down a road, having no idea where it would lead, but knew the town enough to get home.

"And Sammy?"

"Sammy's gettin' used to him around. Be nice to the kid, might get along fine once ya get to know him." Bobby started to head back to the yard. "So, can you be good to Cas?"

"Sure, Uncle Bobby. I guess I could."

"Good. Now, don't pull that kind of thing again. I'm letting you off easy 'cause it's the first time this happened and you don't know all the rules yet. Next time you won't get off so easy. Got that?" Bobby felt like he should be doing more than twisting his head once in a while, that he ought to be facing the boy for such conversation.

"Does that mean we'll be staying with you?" Dean asked.

"Yeah kid, that means you'll be staying with me." It sunk in that he'd be able to give his boys the childhood they deserved and if he weren't supposed to be serious and drive he'd have the biggest smile on his face, probably happy-dancing even.

"Am-Bree too?"

"For a while," Bobby agreed. "We're headed back now, you better tell the girl that I gave you a talking to and that you'll never do it again."

"Okay,"

"Good."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

When Bobby and Dean pulled back up to the house, they expected to see Ambriel sitting next to the other boys. It was a surprise when she wasn't. Castiel and Sam sat on the floor and watched TV while attempting to make a fort out of the comforter. Ambriel, however, was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Am-Bree?" Dean asked, looking around.

"That way!" Castiel popped his head out of the giant comforter and pointed down the hall. "We're making a..."

Fort!" Sammy cheered.

Wanna join?" Castiel offered. "You can get the chairs."

"Sure," Dean smiled. "I'm sorry for being mean." Somehow part of Bobby didn't believe him.

"Well, you boys do that." Bobby muttered, making his way down the hall. There were enough rooms and enough weapons that she could have gotten hold of, something to hurt them all. "Ambriel!" He was louder.

"What?" was harshly sent back.

Where are you?" Dean shouted.

"Oh, I don't know," the sarcasm was impossible to ignore. "Puking my guts out maybe!" Then the sink ran for a while and she came out. "Thanks for the sympathy though, means a lot to me." She slammed the door behind her as she walked out of the bathroom. Somehow, her cheeks seemed hollower than when Bobby left and her face paler. "Only a few more weeks. Just gotta survive 'til the solstice." The mutterings seemed to be more focused on building herself up, not informing anyone else. "I smell awful, I'm going to take a shower. Don't kill each other." She turned right around, snapped her fingers until a small black carry-on appeared in her loose fingers and walked right into the bathroom again, locking the door behind her.

"I'm hungry," Sammy whined, poking his head out of the blob of comforter.

Me too!" Dean shouted, climbing over Sammy to look out of the light blue comforter.

I have this odd sen-sen...funny feeling in my tummy." Castiel interjected, not bothering to leave the blanket, his stomach growling.

Cas is hungry too!" Dean shouted. "Food!"

"Great," Bobby moaned, working his way to the kitchen. "What do you feed a bunch of kids?"

Can we have Mac and Cheese?" Sammy waddled into the kitchen. "I'm a pen-penguin. Penguins like Mac and Cheesy."

I'll see what I can do, kid." Bobby chuckled and smiled.

I'm not a kid! Imma penguin."

We'll see," Bobby knew he didn't have the boxed kind, but it couldn't be that hard to whip up, right?

Looking through his kitchen, Bobby found a box of macaroni elbows and a can of Cheddar Ragu. It would have to do. Twenty minutes later, the Mac and Cheese was ready and the shower turned off.

Here," Bobby said to the moving comforter. "Dinner is ready, in the kitchen. Wash up."

Kay!" The three voices answered, pushing the blanket to the side in no real fashion. They raced to the kitchen and fought to reach the sink. Luckily, it was low enough, from when Bobby was in a wheelchair.

Dean helped Sammy wash his hands and Castiel looked kind of lost before copying Dean when he was washing his own hands.

Bobby gave the boys all a fair share. Probably a bad idea, Sam was only 3, but figured they'd work it out among themselves. He didn't save any for himself or Ambriel. He would settle for a sandwich and the angel could make her own food, or just snap it into existence.

Eat at the table," Bobby told them, glad he cleaned off all the books he had on it earlier.

The boys hopped up onto the chairs happily and began eating. It was going fine. Sam chatted with both of the kids mindlessly over the show he watched. There where aliens and a Captain and the starship _Enterprise_, and when Bobby figured out that they were talking about Star Trek, he chuckled. It surprised Bobby that it was even on anymore. Much more, on any local channels, which is what he had. Probably he'd have to get a dish, with kids being in the house. Internet wouldn't be a problem, he had high speed and his boys wouldn't be-_wait, when did he even start thinking like this? He's only had them for a few days and might not even get to keep them._ The thought invaded his mind as he started to mentally make a plan.

Dean!" A voice filled his thoughts. "Dean! You meanie!"

Bobby looked over without even thinking. Dean had 'accidentally' knocked all of the pepper into Castiel's plate. Bobby resisted the urge to pull an 'Ambriel' and beat his head on the nearest surface before cleaning up and scolding Dean.

It was an accident! I swear!" Dean's bottom lip started to tremble. Bobby thought it may have been fake, but it looked pretty damn real. "I didn't mean too!"

Don't do it again," Bobby scolded, not knowing what else to do. "You'll have to share."

Uncle Bobby!" Dean cried in outrage. "It was an accident."

Ambriel wandered out of the bathroom dressed in sea green pajama bottoms and a light blue top that was like a turtleneck with a shallow back, her hair hung like pieces of black string and her wings took on a physical appearance. They were cramped to her body while she walked down the hallway and were mostly white, black occasionally showing up in splotches. Patches of feather about the size of her hand were missing.

My wings were bothering me, hope you don't mind." Ambriel smiled, sitting down and twisting herself into the chair.

No," Bobby tried not to stare at her roughed up wings. "Not at all." For a second, an awkward silence thrived in the air. "Dean," Bobby supplied, "You're sharing your Mac and Cheese."

What happened?" Ambriel asked, smoothing places where feathers where a tangled mess.

"Dean dumped pepper on my Mac and Cheese!" Castiel explained, huffy and upset.

"Did not!" Dean nearly shouted, "I knocked it over trying to grab the salt!"

Now they're going to share Dean's," Bobby told her.

"Cassy," Ambriel stopped smoothing her feathers for a second, "I'm sure the whole thing was a accident, if Dean shares a third of his Mac and Cheese with you, then you can have a nice big loaf of Manna with me."

Manna?" Castiel perked up.

Uh huh," Ambriel smiled, "Fresh made, still warm straight from Isda's oven."

Castiel smiled widely, "I share with you."

I'll, Cassy, it's 'I'll' share with you.'" Ambriel answered, she closed her eyes and a steaming bowl of soup and a pile of bread appeared in the middle of the table, "Eat up." She wiped the cheese and pepper covered fork he had on her wrist and handed it to him.

It's dirty..." Castiel trailed off.

And?" Ambriel had a tone of voice that fit her teenage vessel better than her multiple millennia old self.

No, its dirty." Castiel pointed at the fork.

Of course, stupid me," Ambriel smacked her palm to her head as she got up to get a spoon for Castiel. As she dug a few spoons out she stopped dead in her tracks. "Tell me you gave Sam a spoon."

No, why?" Bobby took a bite out of the sandwich he finished making.

Shit," She hissed, hoping the boys didn't hear her. "Give it, Sammy." She told him, prying it out of his hands. "Here," She placed a spoon in his small, cheese covered hands. "I feel like I'm going to go gray by the time we get them signed up for school."

Why's he gotta have a spoon?" Bobby asked.

"Well, he's three years old and he did this,"

Ambriel put up a finger to signal she needed a second. Then she pushed the fabric that clung to her neck away to show her collarbone. In the small space were four little red puffy areas, she released the fabric and it went back to her neck with strict obedience. Then she showed him the palm of her hand, the pad by her pinky finger looking the same as the area by her neck.

He gets excited. No worse than Cas, he flung my beer across the restaurant. Almost hit a few waiters with it." Ambriel grabbed herself a fork and sat down, eating the soup like spaghetti. "We got kicked out, needless to say. Even after I tried to charm the waiter."

Yeah," Bobby snorted, "I'd imagine that."

We just might get along, yet." Ambriel had a dangerous smirk on her face. "Angel or not, I've spent 400 years plus down here. I know the way you, humans, think. I like it, you're so free! I lose myself in your thinking! I hate people and love them at the same time." Ambriel looked down and tapped the counter 3 times. "Random, weird, huh."

What does Manna taste like?" Dean asked suddenly, eyeing the chunk that sat next to Castiel.

It's a divine food, from Heaven." Ambriel answered, smile on her face. "Don't you dare," She knew he'd just take some.

Want some?" Castiel tore a chunk of his off and offered it to Dean.

Thanks!" Dean chirped, taking it happily and taking a large bite. "It's good!"

So you two made up and are playing nice?" Ambriel asked, "No more hitting and hating?"

I guess," Castiel answered, Dean was quiet but Ambriel gave him the benefit of the doubt and blamed it on his mouth being stuffed. "I didn't know we were hating."

"Hate is bad," Sammy interjected, "Daddy says that hating people makes you a monster, like the monsters under my bed."

"Hate can do that to people, and some of the monsters under your bed aren't really monsters, they just look different." Ambriel told him, "I met the nicest vampire in a small town in England. He found another food source, invited me right inside and his wife helped me dress for a ball. Nicest couple you'll ever meet."

"No work at the table," Bobby told her. The kids didn't need to hear about vampires or other supernatural creatures at a dinner conversation.

"Uncle Bobby, what's your job? Do you protect people like Daddy?" Dean asked, "Daddy says that bad things wanna hurt us and he has to stop 'em"

Sometimes," Bobby didn't want to admit to a 5-year-old that he hunted the monsters under his bed, "I help people that find the bad things."

"Speaking of which, how can I tell when someone at the door is a hunter or not? Do you have some weird signal or something?" Ambriel asked.

Hunters knock, civilians abuse the doorbell," Bobby answered. "Why?"

I'm going to be here for at least a month, you're bound to get a few visitors, I want to know which ones to worry about." Ambriel then decided to end the conversation. "I'm not hungry," Then a large remainder of soup blinked out of existence, the manna staying untouched. "Knock yourselves out," She closed her wings around her, protecting herself. A few snores were heard minutes later. When the boys finished eating they started asking Bobby more questions.

Are we gonna get a Christmas Tree?" Dean asked.

Christmas Tree?" Sammy asked, tilting his head, "Silly Dean, they don't have Christmas Trees inside. Right, Uncle Bobby?" Those few words broke Bobby's heart into tiny pieces.

A lot of people do, Sammy. We'll see, Dean." Bobby answered, clearing the table. "Cas, Dean, go wash your hands and you can go play." Bobby told them, grabbing a napkin to attempt at cleaning off Sam. He knew it would be a bust. The kid had Mac and Cheese in his hair, on his frigging hands and all over his clothes. "Where'd she even get the clothes anyway?" He almost expected an answer. "Well, come on, boy, gotta get you cleaned up."

Bobby tried his hardest not get himself covered in Mac and Cheese, he really did, as he gave Sam a bath. Turns out being covered in Mac and Cheese didn't matter anyway. Somehow, Sam left the bathroom, and by some 'miracle', had a set of PJs for the kid, mostly dry, yet clean. Bobby didn't. Walking the short distance to his bedroom to get dry clothes left puddles of bath water on the floor as he took a step.

After he changed and cleaned up, Bobby headed back out to the living room/study. Ambriel was still curled on a chair in the kitchen, her legs pulled tight to her chest and her hair covering her face where her wings failed. Sammy was trying to get into the 'fort' that collapsed. Dean and Cas were coloring on some paper. He didn't know where they got it and that worried him. When he walked over he saw it was some records on a haunting in Nevada.

Shit!" He swore loudly, Ambriel fell over the chair and let out a long string of screeching that Bobby could only believe to be choice words in whatever-the-hell-Cas-said-angels-spoke.

I didn't do it!" Ambriel shouted once she was able to speak English again. "It ain't my fault, I swear to Heaven above I didn't do it!"

Don't color on things unless it's blank paper," Bobby scolded. "It's rude and the paper could be important."

"What happened?" Ambriel's eyes fluttered as she scrubbed a hand over her face. "Oh yeah, paper...hunts...that stuff. Bring it here, the last bit of my Mojo might as well be good for something."

Bobby brought the paper over to her as she pushed herself into the chair. He handed the ink covered papers to Ambriel.

"The drawings are wonderful, boys. If it weren't for the important things written on the paper, I'd put them on the fridge." Ambriel smiled at them. "Now, Bobby...Bobster, we need to buy the boys some toys. I was able to get and zap them clothes that fit, but toys...I didn't think about toys. Besides, that's more of a parent's job, getting their kids toys. The first couple of months will have a higher payment to get them settled in." Ambriel handed the now clean papers to Bobby. "Is there anything else you need? May I go back to bed?"

I'm done for now," Bobby relented.

Thank you," Ambriel smiled, then slid out of the chair and curled up in front of the kitchen stove, wings wrapping her like a tight blanket.

Aren't you supposed to be guarding?" Bobby asked, "You are a Guardian Angel." Much to his surprise the angel rolled over, removed the wings from her face for a few seconds and growled at him lightly.

I'm off duty. All I do is eat, sleep and shed." She answered, covering her face again.

Great," Bobby left her alone after that.

"Gabe says that angels can sleep up to 20 hours a day, don't need to though, Amy's a...black...black sheep." Castiel told Bobby, "Gabe says that we're holy cats."

I can see why," Bobby muttered.

Are we gonna have a Christmas tree? Amy says that humans have Christmas trees. Even though it ain't Christmas, not really. She and Gabe told me that people just screwed up that date by a couple 'a months." Castiel smiled.

I don't know, kid, kinda crowded for a tree, don't cha think? Maybe next year?" Bobby found himself petting the boy's head. "You need a hair cut."

Uncle Bobby! Uncle Bobby!" Dean came running from the living room, where he retreated after the scolding to play with Sammy. "It's snowing! It's snowing!" That got Cas's attention and he ran to the nearest window, standing on Ambriel. Bobby thought she'd growl or tell him to move, but she didn't. She merely shifted her wings to get him high and able to see better.

It's as pretty as Amy said! Prettier even. Amy! Amy, wake up! It's snowing." Castiel was loud enough to wake Ambriel, her wings moved enough for him to almost lose footing and she looked up.

Sh...I know, Cassy. You're welcome. Sh." She told him, snuggling closer to the stove, even though it was off.

That was you?" Bobby asked, looking at the 'sick' angel on his floor.

"I put in a good word with the Big Man. Guess he said yes. You're welcome. Go outside and play with the boys. Might have some cookies ready when you're back." She muttered, using her wings like stairs to get Castiel off her. "Don't forget Sammy, he's running a bit of a fever. Bundle up." At this point Bobby figured she was sleep talking. Then she started snoring. She didn't snore in a cute little lady-like way either. It sounded like a small animal getting run over by a demon car with a chainsaw, or an old creaky door, it was a toss up between the two.

Can we? Can we go outside?" Dean asked.

Sure kid, won't be much fun. Isn't enough snow to do much, but sure, make sure your brother has a coat too." Bobby replied, when they left he looked up. "Oh God,' He groaned, "Am I becoming normal? I need a beer."

He grabbed one, slung on a coat and went outside with the boys. None of them had hats or gloves on and Dean didn't zip up his coat but it wasn't cold enough for Bobby to worry about it. He went outside in the winter the same way as a kid and didn't die of hypothermia. Ambriel would flip out, probably, but she was sleeping on the floor so she didn't get an opinion.

The boys stayed out until it was dark, they would have stayed longer if it were up to them. Bobby, however, wasn't fine with it. At one point in time, Ambriel wandered out like a zombie. She handed Bobby a cup of Irish Coffee, muttered the oxymoronic 'You need to stop drinking so much' and grabbed a few bags from the Impala. She looked like she wouldn't react if her name was said. It was like she was sleepwalking, but was awake.

In the evening, about a week later, after the boys went to bed and Ambriel was wide awake, eating an Oreo from the pack she found in the back of the liquor cabinet, she sat at the kitchen table waiting for Bobby to finish tucking his boys into bed. When he came back from the spare room she just stared at him, waiting for him to say something first.

What?" He asked, sitting in the chair across from hers with coffee in his hands.

"We need to talk." Ambriel answered, rather coldly. It worried him in an odd sort of way, she was either up to something or he screwed up and couldn't keep the boys. The latter was quickly becoming his worst fear.

About?" Bobby asked.

You're going Christmas shopping." It wasn't a question. "Buy them something nice from me," She slid a money packet across the table, "I have no motivation to leave the house and no idea what little boys want for Christmas. We have no tree, I will make sure that there is a decorated tree, you take care of the shopping. If it works we can make it routine for every year."

"You think I'm going shopping tonight?" Bobby asked, "There isn't anywhere open."

Bobby," She answered, sipping at the ginger ale in her hand, "It's like 7:30. Wal-Mart is still open. I don't think the place closes. Go, I'll watch the munchkins."

Bobby gave her the look a father would give his daughter when she swore that she wouldn't throw a party while everyone else was away. A look of distrust.

"What's so important about tonight?" Bobby asked.

"I have a really, really good feeling about tonight." Ambriel tapped on the table with her finger nails. It annoyed Bobby to no end, but she probably didn't know what she was doing. "I'll even make breakfast." Ambriel promised, then it dawned on him what she was doing.

What do you want from Wal-Mart?" Bobby asked her, grabbing the money.

I need pancake mix, a couple of sketch pads and an Amazon Gift Card." Ambriel relented. "I am 10 days away from this being 98% over. Buy this and the time will go by a hell of a lot quicker." She got up and grabbed his coat. "Go."

'I'll be back by ten," Bobby told her, "I want some kind of rare sigil by the time I'm back."

"I'll draw it on my new sketch pad!" She beamed, "Finally, I love drawing! Thank you! I'd hug you...but that'd be weird..." The smiled faded, "I'm gonna leave you alone now...Just call...if you get arrested or something..."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

It was ten days before Christmas when there was a knock on the door for the first time since Ambriel invaded Bobby's house. The boys were playing "Go Fish" with the 'cards' Ambriel made. Bobby was working on finding out about some giant man-eating fish that could climb on land that another hunter was working on. Ambriel was sprawled on the couch, Sam's laptop on her lap and a pair of cheap earbuds shoved half-heartedly in her ears, playing Doctor Who loud enough for Bobby to repeat every line that The Doctor said with perfect accuracy. Still, she was able to pay enough attention to the boys and their notebooks and crayons when needed.

_Knock. Knock._

"Dean, tell Ambriel to get the door. I've almost got it," Bobby told him. Ambriel got up before Dean could attempt at getting her attention.

"I heard." She groaned, getting up and stretching her wings and arms in a fluid motion. "I do everything around here." She was loud enough for everyone to hear her, then slipped into muttering under her breath.

"When the door opened, a feminine fist almost hit Ambriel in the face. Clearly the woman was going to knock again. She was dressed in a stiff sheriff uniform and had a plate of cookies. When she saw the wings, that were missing half the feathers, her eyes went wide and she dropped the cookies, Ambriel instinctively went to grab it.

"Who is it?" Bobby hollered from the study.

"You're Jody Mills, right?" Ambriel asked, holding the cookies. She remembered seeing her when viewing the time the boys dealt with zombies.

"Holy Shit..."

"I'd prefer if you didn't use that term," Ambriel shrugged.

"You- You have wings." The sheriff blinked multiple times.

"Do you want to talk to Bobby? That's what you're here for, right? Not just to give us some delicious looking cookies?" Bobby wandered out, wanting to see if it was really Jody.

"Yeah..." Jody kept staring at the wings.

"Well, I'll take the boys...somewhere else. So you can talk." She retreated, grateful to be away from the situation. "Come on boys, to the kitchen we go. We'll make some pie or something." They all got up to run to the kitchen, Dean being the leader when hearing the word 'pie.' "Dean, pick up the cards. Bring them with you."

"Amy!" He whined, Cas helped make the mess too and Dean found it unfair that he didn't have to pick up the cards.

"Dean, pick up the cards and you'll get the first slice of pie." Ambriel put a hand on her hip, it wasn't up for argument. When he finished picking up the cards and ran to the kitchen, Ambriel let out a quiet, high pitched shrill. "It means good luck in Enochian. My pitching is a bit off, but it'll do." With that she closed the kitchen doors.

"So..." Bobby shifted uncomfortably. Jody was getting over the shock of a winged girl answering the door. "You've meet Ambriel...and she has wings. I'm sure you're wondering about that."

"Yeah, I am." Jody was back to normal, "A teenager with wings answered your door, has a kid named Dean, who frankly looks a hell of a lot like the one that kills zombies for a living and she took a beer with her to the kitchen. I can see a resemblance there and she's bat shit crazy. What the hell is Enochian, even?" She was getting louder. "Who the heck is she?"

"An angel," Bobby answered nonchalantly as possible, "From Heaven."

"An angel," she seemed out of breath for a second, "As in halos and singing and holiness?"

"Yep," Bobby bit at his cheek. "She's a Guardian Angel, supposed to be the best."

"Angels are real," Jody repeated. "I've met an angel. For some unknown reason, I believe you. Thought I'd seen everything, but an angel…" She took a deep breath. "Wow."

She paused for a moment, taking it all in, then looked at her hands, like they were the most interesting thing in the world. Bobby cleared his throat and looked anywhere that Jody wasn't.

"The boys...who are they? If she's an angel, then..."

"Sam, Dean and their angel, Castiel...they're the kids. It's a long story, hands were forced in the matter." Bobby shrugged, "We're getting along, I guess."

"Oh..." Jody nodded vigorously. "That's...good...I guess."

"Yep," Bobby nodded awkwardly, not knowing where to go from there. "So, before all this...why'd ya come over?"

"Oh, um...I was just seeing about Christmas...I know the boys don't really come to visit..."

"Oh..." He cleared her throat.

"Can she come over, Bobby? Please? Pretty, pretty please?" Ambriel's head popped out of the doors, Dean after the first please, followed by Sam and Castiel.

"Can she?" Sammy asked, "Nice lady? Can pretty lady stay?"

"They've taken quite the shine to you," Bobby pointed out. He saw two sets of eyes roll. "I guess it'd be alright if you wanted."

"Thanks," Jody nodded and smiled ever so slightly. "Um...What time?" She shrugged, looking around.

"Well, lunch...So, noon?" It was a shot in the dark, "Maybe earlier, how 'bout 11?"

"Oh, yeah. That's...that's fine." Jody fidgeted with her hands, "Do you want me to bring anything?" The doors shut in a way that showed the closer was at least _trying_ not be a huge disturbance, but failed at it rather horribly.

"We ain't planning much. Bring a pie or something, kids like pie."

"Okay, I guess I'll get going then. I have to start my shift soon." Jody gave a horribly fake smile and wrapped her coat around her tightly before taking her leave. As soon as the door closed, the boys emerged, along with the scent of the raw ingredients, so they hadn't just sat next to the door. Bobby wondered in, hoping the mess wasn't too big.

There was hardly any mess to his surprise. Ambriel had her wings tight to her body and her hair pulled up and was happily humming a tune whose name Bobby couldn't place. It sounded scarily familiar and overly Christmasy.

"I hope you like cherry, it was either that or old chocolate." For once, it caught Bobby off guard. She seemed so into her work that he assumed he didn't notice his entrance.

"Cherry 's fine. Dean likes it at least," Bobby shrugged.

"You'll have to forgive if I talk a little weird, it's a habit. Spent most of my time in British colonies or the UK, back when America was still thirteen tiny colonies with a dream." She didn't look back. "Still, this is important."

"What?" Bobby asked.

"A few of your phones rang. I answered of course, you have a new secretary. Her name is Annabella Delrosia." She kept working, skirting the subject.

"You're avoiding the subject," Bobby coughed.

"You can't tell her I told you," she said absentmindedly. "It goes against the famed 'girl code,' and she's nice. I want her as a friend."

"Go on kid. I ain't got all day." Bobby went to get some coffee from the other side of the kitchen, looking for the coffee brandy in the fridge. It was in the back, he didn't want the kids to see it.

"She fancies you, Jody that is." Ambriel twirled around, flour smeared on her cheek and cherry above her eye brow. Bobby went to stand up and hit his head on the top of the refrigerator and coffee sloshed over the edge of the cup. He swore as it burnt his hands. "You didn't know..." She trailed off as Bobby rubbed the back of his head. "I don't believe in such foolish things, love is something I find trouble believing in. Maybe it was alive in another time. Now it's just chemicals, a temporary high. However," she went back to work, "Those are my personal beliefs and I have no right to push them on you. Besides, you are in love. Not head over heels," Bobby could hear a knife meeting a cutting board, he had no idea why or what she was chopping up, but something was meeting it's doom. "No, a man like you is never head over heels. Far too rational to lose yourself. You've been hurt by love. It felt like you were shot through the chest. Still, it's more than a schoolyard crush."

"I'm not 'in love.'"

"You won't admit it, which means you feel like you aren't suppose to feel such emotion, at least to that kind of person. So it's probably a hunter, an enemy hunter. Which explains why you also hold a certain hate for them and they randomly pop in. That's why you have fancy liquor. It doesn't hold your fancy, but it does theirs."

"What are you? Sherlock freaking Holmes?" Bobby asked defensively.

"Defensive, so I'm right. Mister, just because Sherlock isn't real doesn't mean that his creator didn't have inspiration. It's not me, before you ask, I was just assigned his guard. 25 years and you pick up a thing or two." Her breath hitched for a second, Bobby almost thought he imagined it, that was how quick it was. "You come to some kind of understanding with this person, merely so you don't kill each other."

"How the fuck do you pull this shit out of thin air?"

"It's not thin air, these things are rather simple if you know how to look for them." She shrugged and weaved around him to the oven that he didn't even notice was on. "I don't talk about it because such things anger people, to know that someone else can tell their life story with a glance. I wouldn't tell you if I didn't think it was important to know that Jody fancies you and the person you fancy can't be that bad if you fancy them. No worse than Michael and..." She suddenly become overly flustered, "Never mind...forget it. I'm not supposed to know and it is wrong to speak of the dead in such ways."

"Michael? The archangel Michael?"

"I'm not suppose to talk about it, even when he was alive. I swore to Mikey that I wouldn't tell a soul, angel, anything with essence. Forget I said anything. Back to you," Her fast tone slowed, "It's obvious that you hold a hate for the one you fancy because of the look on your face. You were-"

"Can we get a puppy?" Sammy burst through the door. "I want a puppy for Christmas." The pie was safely in the oven and her flour covered hand ran across Ambriel's face and into her hair.

"This one's your job, Bobby," she passed off.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Chapter 5:_**

By Christmas day, Ambriel was feeling much better. Her wings started to 'heal' again and the down of her feathers was growing in quickly. While she still couldn't eat anything too sweet or spicy without feeling nauseous, her mood increased and her cheeks weren't as hollow. Bobby no longer held onto the fear that he'd have to bury a dead angel in the yard and took pity on her, letting her know that the couch could fold out after she mopped the floor. She still required sleep and would often be found on the couch with Sam's laptop and a pair of earbuds or curled up in a blanket sound asleep. Christmas morning was no exception.

"Am-Bee! Am-Bee! Am-Bee, it's Christmas! Wake up! It's Christmas!" a small body tried to shake her. By that alone her half-awake brain knew it was Sammy. He was still perfecting jumping on anything that wasn't flat. She flipped over to face him with a groan.

"Sammy, it's like 2 in the morning." Ambriel groaned, wiping what sleep she could from her eyes. "Go back to bed."

"But it's Christmas!" He shot back.

"Go bug Bobby," her voice had turned into a whine.

"'m scared." He looked down to his feet.

"Of course," Ambriel rolled her eyes, the boy was terrified of Bobby's door. The protection marks on it were made with blood and only a week after they showed up Ambriel mindlessly told them what the marks were made of. The door, to Sam, Dean and Castiel, was the scariest thing in the world.

Ambriel sat up and ran a hand through her hair. It was still wet from the shower she took after making that one last batch of cookies. She somehow covered the entire kitchen, including Bobby, who sat trying to wrap gifts, and herself, in sugar, flour and egg.

"Back to bed," she picked up Sammy, knowing that he wouldn't go back to his room if she didn't take him.

"Don't," he yawned, "Want too."

"Too bad, kid," he squirmed as she sat him on her hip, "It's" she squinted at the clock on Bobby's microwave, "3:06 am. Come and wake us at 5:45, okay?" Ambriel knew that he couldn't read the clock. "I'll even give draw you a picture, so you know when it's 5:45, 'kay?" She grabbed one of Dean's markers, a green one. "Hand?" He showed her his hand and she wrote, in her neatest handwriting, 5:45. "When the clock," she gestured at the digital clock on the stove, "Looks like that, you can come wake us grown ups up."

As Ambriel tried to weave her way up the stairs, her pinky toe caught on the top step. She just barely got her footing and somehow kept Sammy in her grasp. Her eyes watered and as she fell her wings tried to grasp any surface it could, knocking over everything nearby. The pair heard loud footsteps and a door slam, it was Bobby. The steps were to loud to be anyone else.

"What happened?" He groaned loudly, running his hand over his face.

"Sammy," Ambriel hissed, trying to keep the pressure off her poor toe, "He woke up, thinks it's early enough for P-R-E-S-E-N-T-S. I'm taking him back to bed."

"I'll do it," Bobby gruffly told her, Ambriel passed Sammy into his arms and padded back down the stairs. "Back to bed, kid," Bobby told him, opening the door to the boys room. He really needed to start finding someone to build the boy's more rooms. The one they shared was small and the queen bed in the middle took up most of the room.

"But it's Christmas!" Sammy smiled, "Christmas!"

"Yeah kid, it's Christmas, back to bed. Presents later," Bobby told him, lying the kid back into the side of the bed Castiel wasn't sprawled out over, while Castiel would sprawl out, taking as much space as he could, when asleep Dean was the opposite. He was curled into a small ball, one hand reaching out for something. Bobby's best guess was Sammy, even when Dean was asleep he still felt the need to 'protect' the kid.

"Time-y?" That was Sammy speak for clock, and Sammy stuck out a hand, the one with 5:45 on it, "Presents time?" Bobby sighed, the time was crazily early, but he knew that he'd be lucky if the boys stayed in bed until then.

Bobby grabbed the clock and made an attempt to set the alarm. He did, after a few minutes of Sammy staring up at him sucking on his thumb and eyes wide. Somehow he got the color to switch form the typical green to a bright pink, but Sammy didn't notice, Dean would complain about it being a girly color in the morning but he'd get over it.

"When it goes off you can open presents," Bobby told Sammy, fixing the blankets and smoothing Sammy's hair. Dean reached out again, looking for his little brother, grabbing Sammy's hand and moving closer. "You want me to read ya-" Bobby glanced over to see Sammy and the other two sleeping peacefully. "Never mind." Then he attempted to leave the room quietly, unlike _someone_ he got back to his room without knocking over everything in the nearby area.

A few hours later, the boys were jumping on the sleepy and grumpy lump of Ambriel. Bobby was smart enough to set his alarm to 15 minutes before the boys so he was up, showered and starting on making some pancakes. He was adamant that the boys would eat first, then they could open presents. However, the three were aloud to look through their stockings before breakfast.

The boys weren't happy with the stockings they each had. Sammy had a giant felt kitten on it, when he _clearly_ favored penguins or puppies. Dean was the happiest of the group because snowmen are okay, _I guess_. Castiel was unhappy because _angels don't look like that_.

Once the pancakes were done, the mood brightened. All of them liked almost every kind of pancake. Ambriel was done switching between muttering and hissing in Enochian once the scent of coffee filled the air. She had real color in her face and instead of the bat-like wings that she had been sporting soft white wings blinked in and out of existence. She assured them it was perfectly normal and that is simply meant her grace was getting stronger so the wings got their typical make up back.

"Pancakes...Yum..." Ambriel's sarcasm was even more irritating than usual to Bobby. He had approximately 3 hours of sleep. While the lack of sleep was something he'd been doing for years, he didn't have to _interact_ with people...or angels that displayed the maturity level of small children during most of those waking hours.

"Can it," he huffed. "You don't like it, make your own food."

"I will," she said with determination, closing her eyes as she set to work on making a jar of nutella appear. When it did, she smiled like it was the greatest thing in the world. She continued to eat it, using a finger as her spoon, and would for the rest of the day.

It took the boys less than 15 minutes to eat their breakfast. Somehow, Sammy avoided being completely covered in food. By the time 6:30 rolled around, the boys were bouncing as they sat on the ground by the small tree that who knows who pulled out of who knows where. A few presents were sitting under the tree.

Once all the presents were opened, the boys were happier with them than the stockings. The presents didn't differ by child as much as they should, but he didn't really know the kids well enough to personalize, much more what was a good idea to buy with a 3 year old in the house.

Dean got a some hot wheels and legos. He was abundantly happy. 'Last' Christmas he didn't get anything because the house burnt down. Castiel became the proud owner of finger paint, markers and more legos. Sammy got a few stuffed animals and few kids books called _Lucky Shirt_, _Pokey the Little Puppy_ and some Dr. Seuss and giant legos. Because really, _what kid doesn't like legos?_

"Nothing for me?" Ambriel teased gently, sitting on the couch, feet tucked under her and a blanket over her shoulders. The next thing she knew a box the size of her hand was flying at her. Opening it, she saw a small box of drawing pencils and cheap earbuds.

"Lady at the store said you'd like 'em," Bobby said gruffly, using a knife to try and cut the plastic off the boxes of legos.

"Thank you," She almost launched herself at him, she would have, had he not been holding the knife.

"Welcome, kid."

"Am-Bee," Sammy pulled at her pant leg. "Story."

"Why n-" Then it dawned on her, she only had about a week left, then she'd be gone for who knows how long. She already had her next assignment lined up. She wouldn't even be on the planet. While she'd still, and forever be, their protector, she wouldn't be around to kiss their skinned knees or read them bedtime stories all the time. "You should-" No, he was working on Dean's lego thing, besides, she should enjoy the time that she had with them right now. She might not be back for mere chatting for a year or more. If she came back within the month, it would be because something was really wrong. "Sure, if Bobby's busy of course, why don't you ask Cassy if he wants a story too?"

"Uncle Bobby, you busy?" Sammy asked, a book clutched tightly in his hands.

"Yeah, Sam, I'm busy right now," Bobby sighed, he'd love to read to the boys, but now that he started trying to pry the legos open he wouldn't stop until he succeeded dammit!

"Cas-Tee, story with us?" Sammy asked, eyes full of hope. He'd taken a shrine to the boy, Bobby thought it was because Castiel would pose all kinds of questions. He'd ask things like _'What are belly buttons for?'_ or teach Sammy that leaves were green because of the sun.

The boys curled up around Ambriel as she read them Green Eggs and Ham. Sam was perched, literally perched, on the back of the couch to see the pictures and watch Ambriel's finger pass under the words. She vaguely remembered reading somewhere that it was helpful and made writing to speech connections easier for kids. She, however, didn't know if it was outdated, current, futuristic or heavenly advice. Dean started to fall asleep as she read and Castiel became his pillow, Castiel kept asking questions about why the eggs were green. His response was from Bobby who simply said, "because they are."

It took Bobby 30 minutes to open the legos completely, once he opened the box some asshole decided to encase all of them in plastic bags and the plastic bags in plastic. After finishing, he and Ambriel carefully switched places, because Dean was still asleep on Castiel and Castiel was tucked in next to Ambriel at an awkward angle so he could rest his head on her shoulder.

"I'll cook, you spend time with your boys." She smiled softly, disappearing with only the sound of wings flapping as proof she was there. It was all quiet peaceful.

Twenty minutes later though, a screech that covered up the smoke alarm filled the air. Jody would be there in a half hour, somehow they had wasted all that time. Bobby knew the screeching was Ambriel. When humans would normally go on a cussing spree, she seemed to lose all ability to speak anything almost human and went back to a version of enochian that wouldn't burst any eardrums or kill any poor souls.

"It's" Screech, "Fine, just caught the potatoes on fire," Yelp, "I'm fine!"

Jody was 20 minutes late and covered in snow when she showed up. She was driving a rusty blue pick-up. She carried a large box and was smiling.

"The boys are asleep, well, minus this one." Ambriel whispered, trying to keep the batter covered spoon and child on her hip out of her hair. "We're making some brownies."

"Ah," Jody whispered back, "Must have stayed up all night."

"No, that would be this one." She jostled Sammy around a bit more. "Woke me up at 2 in the morning or something."

"Kids 'll do that." Jody smiled, remembering her son. When she 'snapped out of it' her eyes went up to see the wings as they blinked in and out of existence.

"It's perfectly normal...well for me it is. Long and complicated process, but I'll put it this way, I was sick and it took all of my strength to work on healing, I'm better, so my 'cloaking devices' are getting better. It might stop in minutes, might be like this 'til New Years."

"Really," It was drawn out and distracted, it was hard to get over the fact that the town drunk/monster hunter/who-really-knew had an angel, a sick one to top it off, in his living room and that the angel in question had the power to change grown men into small children.

"Here, I'll take," she cringed and brought a hand to her side as if in pain, "the box," in a second the pain was gone.

"Are you okay?" A look of pity and worry crossed Jody's face as Ambriel straightened herself.

"Fine, it just that there was...never mind," Ambriel got flustered as she spoke. "Never mind, it would take too long to explain, even to one of my brothers. Healing in a place like this is different, new." Jody didn't ask what she meant, she'd ask later.

"So, you're making brownies?" she asked pleasantly, putting down the box next to the tree. "Are they in the oven?"

"We didn't use the oven," Ambriel smirked, putting down Sammy. "Don't go far, we need to get you cleaned up," She told him, then went back to Jody. "I've already set off the alarm for when Bobby needs to get up and check on the turkey, I bake and make mac and cheese, that's is. Took a bit longer than normal to make the brownies but it's best to start small on matters of grace."

"Of course," Jody acted like she understood and followed Ambriel as she went to the kitchen in search of a napkin or cloth to clean Sammy's face with.

"So, tell me about yourself," Ambriel hummed as she cleaned off Sammy.

"Um..." Jody shifted awkwardly, she was usually sociable, but the whole _angel_ thing made her uncomfortable. "I'm the town Sheriff and-"

"Not about your job, about you. I could already tell you that you're the Sheriff and that you are thinking of not running next election to be a hunter. I want to know why, they way your mind thinks. Why you want to become something as cold as a hunter, not many of them are up for 'group hugs.'" Ambriel hummed more, the way she stated everything was matter-of-fact. As though she were talking about the weather.

"How did you know that?" Jody was torn between being defensive and in awe.

"I find it simple, it's written all over you, Bobby says that it's best if I just accept that I'm a bit freaky. I'd tell you the story...but I have a feeling that my chatting your ear off about my job and charges would bore you." Ambriel ruffed Sammy's hair. "Go play, Sammy, but don't wake up anyone." She stood to face Jody, "Do you need to refrigerate the pies?"

"That would be-" Jody was cut off by a high-pitched fear filled scream.


	6. Chapter 6

I'd like to thank my wonderful beta musedbysecrecy[dot]tumblr[dot]com/

Once again, I only own Ambriel. Anything of the supernatural fandom is not mine.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter 6:<em>**

"Shit!" Ambriel hissed. The word was awkward on her tongue, but it was either that of a screech that she knew would cause real damage to nearby humans. She ran out of the kitchen as fast as she could, Jody on her completely metaphorical tail.

That dark place in both of their minds assumed something happened to Sammy. He was awake and in the general area it came from. He _must_ have been hurt or something. Instead, it was Castiel screaming. He must have had some kind of nightmare. Dean's eyes were watering and he held onto his own arm almost as tightly as he held onto Castiel's, Cas must have been thrashing too. Bobby was in a panic, his eyes wide and devoid of sleep.

"Cas, kid, you're fine. It was just a nightmare. You're fine." Bobby attempted to sooth, wrapping Castiel in some kind of hug.

"Come on, Dean," Ambriel whispered, trying to pull Dean away. "Cassy's fine." He gave little resistance at those words. She put him on her hip and bounced him lightly.

"Big house crashed. Like the Big Bad Wolf!" Castiel cried. "People screaming and crying!"

"It's okay, kid. It was just a dream." Bobby tried to sooth. Castiel seemed to be crying even more once Dean was taken from him.

On the other side of the room, Sammy pulled on Jody's sleeve. "Why is Cassy crying?" Sammy was obviously upset.

"He just had a bad dream, Sam, how about we just watch some TV?" Jody asked, mostly wanting to keep him out of the way.

"Will Dean be okay?" Sammy asked, tilting his head a bit.

"Dean'll be fine, Castiel too." Jody smiled tightly. She didn't feel right in someone else's family, more so now that she had lost her son. "Let's just give him a minute, okay?" She got down to his level and tried to sound like she didn't feel like the most awkward creature on the planet.

"Okay..." He wasn't sure about Jody or what she was saying, but _Daddy_ told him that unless an adult had black eyes, could disappear or put Dean on edge they probably knew best.

Jody lead him to the TV and sat down next to him with the remote she believed to be the correct one. Luckily, she was correct. Turning on the TV, it went to the local news, Channel 17. A sign crossed the screen blaring BREAKING NEWS

"According to our latest update, St. Mary's Church in North Dakota collapsed roughly 30 minutes ago. A service was in session at the time and 50 people have already been confirmed dead. Currently, police have no idea as to why the building collapsed but high wind is suspected to play a part," a woman in all pink reported.

"Oh no," Ambriel moaned behind them, clutching Dean to her like he was a lifeline. "Father, please, no."

Jody assumed that she was distressed over the large loss of life. She partly was, but it was not the thing she was praying about, actually.

"Not Castiel, Father please. Not Castiel, he's just a boy. Don't burden him, I promised to bare all of his destiny, let me take a little more." Her lips trembled as she prayed in a mix of English, Latin and Enochian. "He's just a boy, Father, just a boy."

"Ambriel," Jody approached her carefully, "I'm sure it's just a coincidence."

"But it fits, perfectly. The surge in grace, the-" She stopped as if something had just occurred to her. "This is new, it wasn't like this the first time. It ain't genetic, can't be." Ambriel's eyes glazed over before blinking into a stony cold. "Dean, go watch TV with Sam, no matter what happens, look after Sammy." She patted him on the back and he ran off. "Watch them, Jody." Then she turned on her heel, as though she were in the military and went to the kitchen. The bang of pots and cabinets filled the air.

"So, darling," a new voice asked, right behind Jody. "What have I missed?"

Jody turned around slowly to see the intruder. He was a clean shaven, well dressed man. Jody did the first thing she could think of: scream.

Jody's scream started many things. Dean and Sam hid behind the couch in seconds. Bobby looked up in alarm, holding Castiel to him tightly. When he saw the man, he merely rolled his eyes and made some kind of gruff snorting noise. Ambriel popped in, not bothering with running and resorting to appearing. As soon as she caught sight of the man, a sword appeared in her hand. It appeared to be silver and markings lined every inch of it aside from the tip. It was aimed at the man's throat.

"I see you're still wearing that meat suit," he observed as if the sword wasn't pointed at him.

"I see you're not dead yet, Crowley," she spat. "Came to see your experiment?"

"My experiment?" He seemed offended, but slipped on an easy look. "I came because of your power surge."

"Right," Ambriel snorted, taking a precise step so the sword tip nipped at the bare flesh of his neck.

"There's no need for weapons now, is there?" he asked. "Don't want to scare the kiddies, I'll be good."

"Ambriel," Bobby ordered, hoping that the authority in his tone would call of the soldier in front of him. It worked, she harshly lowered the sword, creating small tears on Crowley's suit.

"Good dog," Crowley smirked. He pulled his own knife. "That's better."

"I will kill you, I will take my sword and slice you into tiny pieces. Make good on all of the promises I made 60 years ago. I'll spread all of the living bits in outer space and feed the rest to the wolves," Ambriel threatened.

"Not in front of the children," Crowley tutted. "I came to help."

"I can see that. You know that can't kill me, right?" she smirked.

"What does it feel like, having your wings torn off joint by joint?" Crowley asked, eyes gleaming.

"Do you want an example?" Ambriel asked. "Because I've been _dying_ to give you one."

"Okay, that's enough," Bobby physically got between the two. "What's going on?"

"This..._thing_-"

"You're so kind."

"He-" Ambriel pointed at him in a childish way, "has decided to come and see what would happen if he gave Cassy live footage of death."

"You might want to check your sources, darling. It was one of _your_ dear brothers, Bath Kol, if I remember correctly, who likes to do these things," Crowley replied, gliding passed her to the liquor cabinet.

"Again, why should I believe you?" Ambriel took this time to draw her sword.

"How clever," Crowley rolled his eyes. "If you and your simple mind can remember, there was a surge of your so called… grace? My alarms, if you will, picked up on them, only reason I'm here."

"Has this happened before? King of Hell at your beck and call?" Ambriel shifted her eyes to Bobby, who had Castiel clung to his leg, smiling up at Ambriel.

"He pops in," Bobby answered, still standing in arms reach of the, to him, border-line hostile situation. Hostile would come when holy water or some kind of satanic curse was thrown.

"You hurt me or my charges and I will make you wish you were still on the rack, understood?" The knife drew a bit of blood at she pressed it to his cheek.

"Is that a promise?" Crowley asked. "I didn't know you were so-" The sword made a small slice on his cheek. "Understood," he rolled his eyes and she brought the knife to her side.

"Everything is fine, you can leave." She 'crossed' her free arm.

"Really? You know, I haven't gotten to...agonize an angel in the longest time," Crowley proposed, pouring a glass of liquor from the cabinet.

"Sorry, but I solve things civilly," Ambriel snarked.

"Obviously," he responded. "How could I _ever_ miss that?" As much as Bobby wished he could tell Crowley that form of sarcasm didn't suit him, he didn't think this 'new' fatal warrior that Ambriel slipped into around Crowley would take the interaction well. "I think I'll stay, for the conversation of course."

"Take your pick, just remember, Bath Kol might 'escape'. I haven't summoned a sibling in centuries. I'm sure you two will get along great." If Jody wasn't wide-eyed and on the edge of passing out before that line the words 'escape', 'summoned' and 'centuries' gave her a light-headed feeling. "He just loves demons, they give him this warm fuzzy feeling."

"I'll risk it," He took a sip of, well, no one really knew what, but it was definitely alcohol.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Chapter 7:_**

It took Ambriel 30 minutes to gather the ingredients for a proper summoning. She insisted on a traditional summoning, seeing as it was the only one that angels would be forced to enter. The only thing she needed, before 'getting the show on the road' was some holy oil.

"Why do you need holy oil? You'll trap yourself in it," Bobby questioned, rummaging through the closet dedicated to all the 'weird weapons' he owned, like holy oil or a ram horn.

"Just because it can hurt me, doesn't mean I'll kill myself with it. You humans use bleach on everything and don't say to each other 'Gee, Malcolm, why do you need this bleach, if you drink it you'll die.' I mean, if you were at a mental hospital-" She ranted harshly.

"I wouldn't give the crazies bleach," Bobby replied, handing her a thick book.

"This isn't holy oil," Ambriel said somewhat suspiciously.

"No shit, Sherlock, it's to kill book worms. If it touches the ground it won't work no more," Bobby told her. "This is the holy oil," he pulled out a simple clay jar and took the book from her hands.

"Thank you," Ambriel took the jar lightly in her hands, "Tell Crowley that I want to start within the hour; I have no problem starting without him and I will kill him if he enters after I start the summoning." She thought for a moment, "Please have yourself or Jody present during the summoning, I don't trust him alone," she muttered lowly.

"Wise move if there ever was one," Bobby snorted, "Where ya doing all this summoning business?"

"Anywhere works," Ambriel snarled, "I was going to do it in the study but the kids are in there and Bath Kol would scare 'em."

"I'll see if Jody or I can take 'em somewhere like out for Chinese food or something," Bobby commented, "Just ta keep 'em outta the way. You can work in the basement, I don't want a hole in my floor."

"It'd be a holy hole," Ambriel smiled for a second and laughed at her own joke, only to quickly mask it with the same emotionless look and tone she had steadily maintained before, "But yeah, I guess that's cool. We can work downstairs. You go figure out who's making sure Crowley doesn't push me in the fire. I'll go set up." With that she picked up the basket next to her that she filled with the materials she needed and went downstairs, every step filling the house with a bit of dread, a taste of fear and the echo of a soldier's march.

When it finally came down to it, Bobby was present for the summoning and Jody, Castiel, Dean and Sammy were in the panic room. Jody was actually panicking, Sammy was helping Dean build a fort and Castiel was sleeping with a stuffed animal clutched so tightly his pale fingers were snow white.

Before shoving them in the room, Bobby shoved a dream catcher on a string into Jody's hands with instructions to put it around Castiel's neck if he fell back asleep. Currently, it was around Castiel's neck and once every so often Sammy would try to take one of the beads off it.

"Sam! Leave Castiel alone, let him sleep," Jody scolded as she paced around in the back of the room. "Come on, Jody, if you want to be a hunter you'll have to man up. Stuff like this will happen all the time," she muttered to herself. It was she mantra she adopted since she was locked into the panic room. Suddenly she felt a small tug on her sleeve and looked down instinctively. Dean looked up at her, eyes wide.

"Daddy says that as long as there's salt on the door we'll be safe. No worrying," he offered. "He said that bad things happen to people when they aren't ready, but we are." Dean said with such conviction that Jody believed him, if only a little bit.

Meanwhile, in the basement, an angel and a demon stood opposite of each other outside a ring of holy oil. Both chanting a summoning that hadn't been used since God went AWOL. Bobby stood back, in the corner, holding the angelic sword that he got his hands on over a year ago. He stood, dumbfounded, as they spoke harmony with dull tones. Later, he'd learn that all the words had to be separated by an exact period of time, in an exact way.

As the last numb word was spoken, Ambriel cut a slit on her hand and allowed the blood to drip just outside the circle. Almost as soon as a drop hit the ground the building shook. A very pissed looking man with a white beard and turban appeared inside the circle. Crowley dropped a match, lighting it.

"Hello, sister," the man spat.

"Bath Kol," Ambriel nodded, pulling out her sword again, her voice firm. She wouldn't let it betray her this time. The only way to beat an angel, to her, was to have the emotion of one. None.

"Violence again?" The man asked.

"You're messing with my charges, Bath," she snarled, "I told you to stop that."

"What are you going to do about it? I'm safe here in my circle," Bath Kol smirked.

"That's the thing," Ambriel gave a fake smile, "I brought a friend, Crowley, and if you remember he hasn't gotten to torment any angels lately; I hear he's itching for the chance."

"Oh, I am, love," Crowley gave the trapped angel a lethal smirk, "I have a special place in the pit. Just. For. You." He had a sweet tone of voice that gave the smirk a newer, more dangerous edge.

"Wanna know the best part?" Ambriel gave a dark chuckle and ran her free hand over her face, "Since Father isn't around you don't have anyone that loves you enough to save you."

"If this is suppose to be a 'good cop, bad cop' gig you aren't doing it too well," Bath Kol pressed, "One of you is supposed to be helpful and get me out if I play along."

"We've decided to try something new," Crowley told Bath Kol, "And I'm in it for the fun."

"I'm not letting you free, not a chance. This is the 'transfer' section. I want answers, then Crowley gets his fun and I don't back out on deals," she hissed, the end sounding like a snake's final warning.

"What do you even get out of it?" Bath Kol asked.

"You," the sword touched Bath Kol's chest, just barely, "Staying away from my charges, forever."

"I haven't touched your charges since 108 BC," Bath Kol snarked.

"You, me, and the angel all know that that's a lie," Crowley told him, "I remember an incident when a charge went-"

"Shut. Up." Ambriel said through her teeth.

"You-" Bath Kol pointed to Bobby, "Human, go get the popcorn. I love a good internal fight."

"Oh no, it doesn't work that way," Ambriel seethed, "Tell me why you're messing with my charges, or so help me, I will put my sword through your chest and your head on a stick, as a warning."

"When did you get so...graphic, sister?" Bath Kol cheekily asked.

"They say that 'civil blood makes civil hands unclean,'" Ambriel pondered for a moment. "I'd make an exception for you, but I'm used to getting my hands dirty by now."

"It," Crowley pointed at Bath Kol, "Is hardly civil, darling. I wouldn't worry about any 'unclean hands.'"

"Romeo and Juliet, how clever," Bath Kol said dryly. "Before you kill me, just know, I haven't touched whatever charge it is that you have this time. However, I was told not to interfere. The orders came from higher up on the chain. Some say it's from Father and you know what that means."

"I'm done. Take him, Crowley." Ambriel waved off, turning her back, as if to leave. She despised cowards that tried to blame Father.

"Can you really do that, sister? Will you be able to live with yourself? What about look in the mirror everyday?" Bath Kol challenged.

"With ease, that's how I'll do it," she said after a moment, almost faltering. "Get him out of my sight." She sounded troubled and ran up the stairs. As she reached for the door Bobby interjected.

"Nobody's going to hell that don't belong there," Bobby decided. "This whole thing is fucked. He might be a bastard but that don't mean that you can hall him off." Crowley just stared at him and Ambriel stood frozen, eyes wide and resembling a deer caught in someone's headlights, hand dusting over the door.

"A reasonable man," Bath Kol smiled. "A good man if there ever was one."

"Shut it," Bobby snapped. "Try anything and you're dead. We clear?"

"Crystal," Bath Kol smirked, running a hand down his gray beard.

With that promise, Bobby grabbed a small bag of salt with one hand and kept the sword in the other. He was the only thing moving in the basement. Once he was at the fire the bag was opened with a single, swift slice of the sword and knocked over with his foot. Bath Kol smirked and strode out of the fire over the rocky salt.

"Oops," he smiled wide, "I lied, you lot have always been gullible. Didn't expect the mud monkeys to rub off on either of you, though," Bath smiled wide at Crowley and Ambriel. "But war changes everything. I'll be taking off then, your human ought to enjoy seeing a real angel." As soon as the words finished he started to glow. "You're darling little boys ought to have fun and I have so much planned for little Cassy." As he spoke the voice got more and more pitched and less and less human.

Bobby threw the free hand up over his eyes and began to wildly swing the sword around where the angel's chest ought to , he felt the sword meet a resistance and then the familiar feel of metal meeting someone's flesh. He kept thrashing the sword and stabbing the area until the bright glow died down. Cracking one eye open Bobby confirmed that, no, he was not blind and that, yes, the angel was dead.

Crowley looked around wildly, in disbelief as to the fact that he was still alive. As far as he knew, this made him the first demon to survive an angel showing it's true form. He took off as soon as he looked over to see that Bobby was fine, not that he had any clue what he'd do if the hunter was dead, or even injured.

The body on the ground looked serene. Not that Bobby had ever known of an angel that didn't leave behind a peacefully dead corpse. It didn't matter though, how the corpse looked. It was going to be burnt, in true hunter tradition, and that was a fact of life. If a hunter had a body on their hands, they burnt it as soon as they could.

"Let me help," Bobby heard from the stairway, a small sob was heard before Ambriel continued. "He was my brother," the click of shoes and the creek of the stairs was heard.

"If you're sure," Bobby was unable to tell if having her help would be the best thing for her.

"I have to do this," once she reached the body she shut the corpse's eyelids, "I'm the reason he's dead," she whispered mournfully, grabbing a wrist and pulling the body across the basement.

Once the body was outside, Bobby let the boys and Jody out of the panic room. As soon as the door opened to reveal Bobby, Jody let out a sigh of relief and hugged him tight. The boys seemed to forget that they spent God-Only-Knows-How-Long in the room and came barreling out in some kind of wrestling match.

"What happened? How did it go?" Jody asked in one breath as she let go of Bobby.

"The boys are safe now," his eyes shifted to the window where, from just the right angle, a large fire and a person standing next to it, wings blinking in and out of existence as fast as a hummingbird's wings, could be seen.

Jody's hand went to her mouth in shock and she had a sympathetic look on her face. "The poor girl," she whispered, "I think I'll go talk to her, see if there's anything I can do," with long strides Jody went out to comfort Ambriel.

30 minutes later Jody left with the sun. Bobby put the boys to bed a bit later, giving them a dinner of cold turkey and dry potatoes. Whenever he was asked about the smoky scent he deflected the question and read them a book. That night he didn't sleep a wink.

Ambriel entered the house about an hour before sunrise. She smelt of smoke and death. Her wings had disappeared and her eyes were puffy.

"I think I ought to go," she told Bobby, wiping a stray tear from her eye. "I've finished my review, you get to keep the kids," she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

In a simple motion she pushed past him and grabbed the bag that held most of her things. Awkwardly, she worked around the tree to grab the last few things. She found a few weapons in the trunk of the Impala that fit her perfectly. Bobby said she could have them. He already had enough knives and guns and flasks. As long as she didn't take anything important, like Ruby's knife, it was hers for the picking. The ones she wanted she quickly put in what looked like a metal briefcase that appeared beside her. She half-heartedly shoved a few pages in the messenger bag she arrived with and wiped away the tears and sniffles.

"I have other charges to look after and I can't be here right now. Not after what happened yesterday, I might have hated him, but Bath was my brother. While his death was just and deserved, and I don't blame you at all, I can't stay around this house." She snapped the briefcase closed. "I'll leave after breakfast, the boys ought to get a goodbye."


End file.
